Seller’s Staging Guide

Designer Techniques For Top Dollar Sale!

Contain it:
Before your house hits the market, start packing items you don’t use every day and de-clutter so rooms and closet will look larger and more inviting. Buyers visualize what their furniture and personal items will look like in a house so remove the distractions! Stylish containers help organize closets, cabinets, drawers and counter-tops. These can be purchased at the Container Store, Ikea or Target. Wicker baskets can add style and you can take them with you when you move! Be consistent with the type of containers you use in each room to help keep the look clean and uncluttered.

Color Works:
Colorful accessories create brilliant results. The key to color decorating is to use no more than three complimentary colors for the entire house. One or two primary, then the third as a background color. Look at a favorite painting or trinket in your house. Select accent colors (Hint: use colors you can easily find in linens, pillows, and kitchen accessories). Dress up a bathroom with vibrant arrays of accent color hand towels, shower curtains and area rugs. Couches and beds look sumptuous and inviting with colorful decorative pillows and throws. Add colorful bowls and flower arrangements within a similar color theme. You have just created an exciting new look!

Arrange & Re-Arrange:
Create inviting living spaces. For large rooms, “float” your couch, chairs and table towards the center of the room and close enough for easy conversation. “Anchor” with an area rug to help define the space. For small rooms, eliminate extra chairs, couches, tables and move furniture closer to the walls to create a spacious feel. A small couch is better for smaller rooms. A glass (see-through), cocktail table, no end tables and furniture that stores entertainment equipment also makes rooms feel bigger.

Hardware—The Jewelry of a Home:
Now that we have color, let’s add the “jewelry” for a quality, finished look! Replace dated bathroom light fixtures. Kitchen lighting is also important. If you have limited lighting options, add under-cabinet and up-lit accent lights for drama. Pick a style that reflects the room decor. Update cabinet hardware to match other surfaces in the room such as chrome, stainless, brushed nickel. Black or antique gold hardware are also popular choices. Matching door knobs throughout your house offer a consistent theme. New stylish faucets for the bathrooms and kitchen add a beautiful fresh new look. Finally, install a quality entry door with complimenting hardware to create great first impression.

Window Coverings:
Torn, damaged drapes or blinds distract and devalue your home. Invest in modern window coverings. Use Home Depot or an online blind store to order the 2 inch wide white plastic blinds for an inexpensive modern look. They look and wear better than real wood. Can’t afford it? Then repair or remove the old ones and leave the windows open (Just paint the sills). Remember to clean the windows!

Floor Coverings/Base Boards:
A good quality and well-scaled baseboard gives a modern yet timeless look and serves to “frame” walls and floors. Most home buyers prefer hardwood or tile floors. Tile is a great low maintenance choice, especially in finishes that look like stone, marble, or wood. There are exciting new patterned tiles that are popular options and look great in a bathroom or entry. Nearly everyone likes hardwood floors. If you are living in an older home with good condition hardwood under old carpets, toss the carpets! A lower cost alternative to hardwood is laminate flooring. Stained, worn and smelly carpets are a big no-go! Remove them and if you must replace, choose a medium-grade carpet with an upgraded pad.

Counter-Tops:Popular counter surfaces are solid surface, marble, granite, cement, stainless steel, and quartz. These surfaces play a big role in the style and character of a kitchen. You can also upgrade your back-splash with designer tiles to add texture and contrast against the counters. Updating doesn’t have to cost a fortune so be on the look out stylish and affordable options.

Wall Paint:Neutral color paint is popular right now! There are numerous variations of white that can be used to visually open room spaces. We recommend going to your favorite paint store to choose pre-selected color combinations that won’t offend buyers.

Cabinets:
Refinish, Paint or Replace? Often, you can get away with professionally painting old cabinets to brighten and freshen their look. White, grey and dark cabinets are currently very popular. Another option is to replace your cabinets with wood finishes such as maple, birch or cherry. Windowed and lighted cabinets accent special features to create focal areas of interest. If you already have quality hardwood cabinets, give them a good cleaning/conditioning. Invest in the cleaner “Liquid Gold” to bring them back to life.

Kitchen Appliances:
Most buyers love new modern appliances! An updated stove, dishwasher, sink and refrigerator that match gives the kitchen a sophisticated look. Stainless steel is the most popular finish with black, then white following. Low profile refrigerators keep within the confines of the cabinets and counters to offer a flowing “built-in” look and make a kitchen feel bigger!

Lighting:Adequately light your home for maximum impact. Aim for three sources of lighting: Ceiling, under-mounted, and floor mounted up-lights. Use ceiling or recessed lights to create a general foundation of light in the room. Utilize table, or under-mounted cabinet lights to brighten up work spaces such as kitchen counters and end tables. Finally, up-lights can be used to showcase plants or pieces of art.

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